Evolution, ecology and

distribution of bats

•  Evolution
•  Diversity
•  Distribution
•  Abundance
Hypothetical evolution of a bat wing
Colugo

Bat
Flying lemur (colugo)
 Paleochiropteryx tupaidon
Darmstadt, Germany; Middle Eocene (60 MYA)

Moths
 Traditional bat
phylogeny
•  Over 1000 extant species of bats
•  Fossil bats have been found on
all continents
–  Europe (Eocene: 37-53 MYA)
–  Africa (Oligocene: 26-36
MYA)
–  Asia (Miocene: 13-25 MYA)
–  North America (Eocene: 37-53
MYA)
–  South America (Miocene: 13-25
MYA)
•  Oldest is 60 MYA
•  But, most believe bats evolved
70-100 MYA due to distribution
of primitive families
 Current
phylogeny of
mammals

Based on sequence
data from 70 genes
 Current bat phylogeny

Teeling et al. PNAS 2001

Continental Drift
 Biogeography
•  Continental distributions of families
–  Reflects radiation before or after separation of early
continents (vicariance) or
–  Dispersal and colonization after isolation

Emballonuridae
Family: Emballonuridae

13 genera, 51 species

Saccopteryx bilineata
 Old
World

Pteropodidae

Megadermatidae
 Pteropus rodricensis
(Family: Pteropodidae)
Pteropus rodricensis & P. vampyrus
(Family: Pteropodidae)
Pteropus poliocephalus (Family: Pteropodidae)
 Cynopterus sphinx
(Family:Pteropodidae)
Family: Megadermatidae

4 genera, 5 species

Macroderma gigas

Australia
Megaderma lyra

(Family: Megadermatidae)

India
 Old
World

Rhinolophidae

Hipposideridae
Family: Rhinolophidae

1 genus, 69 species

Rhinolophus ferrumiquinum
 Rhinolophus simulator
(Family: Rhinolophidae)
Family: Hipposideridae

9 genera, 60 species

Cleotis percivali
New
World

Phyllostomatidae

Mormoopidae
Family: Mormoopidae

2 genera, 8 species

Pteronotus parnelli
Family: Phyllostomidae

51 genera, 147 species 

Subfamily: Carollinae 

Carollia perspcillata
Choeroniscus mexicana

Subfamily: Glossophaginae
Artibeus literatus 

Subfamily: Stenodermatinae
Ectophylla alba 

Subfamily: Stenodermatinae
Chrotopterus auritus 

Subfamily: Phyllostominae
Desmodus rotundus 

Subfamily: Desmodontinae
Desmodus rotundus 

Subfamily: Desmodontinae
Diaemus youngi 

Subfamily: Desmodontinae
Diaemus youngi 

Subfamily: Desmodontinae
Family: Noctilionidae

1 genus, 2 species

Noctilio leporinus
Cosmopolitan
ranges

strong flyers
Vespertilionidae

Molossidae
Family: Vespertilonidae

41 genera, 330 species

Myotis lucifugus
Eptesicus fuscus (Family: Vespertilonidae)
 Lasiurus borealis 

(Family: Vespertilonidae)
Tadarida brasiliensis (Family: Molossidae)
Tadarida brasiliensis (Family: Molossidae)
Tadarida brasiliensis (Family: Molossidae)
Bat species diversity
 Reasons for tropical diversity
•  Energy stability
–  more solar energy allows for more diversity
•  Greater specialization
–  Habitat diversity is greater so there are more
niches to fill
–  individual abundance decreases as diversity
increases
 Bat wing shape has been used to define
feeding guilds

•  Wing loading =
mass/wing area
•  Aspect ratio =
wingspan2/wing area
–  Low AR =
short, broad wings
–  High AR =
long, narrow wings
Niche partitioning
Encyclopedia of life (EOL)
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)